Welcome to The Summer of Chasing Mermaids blog tour! I hope you enjoy this post and be sure to enter the awesome giveaway at the bottom ...

Welcome to The Summer of Chasing Mermaids blog tour! I hope you enjoy this post and be sure to enter the awesome giveaway at the bottom of this post! Click the banner above for the tour schedule and this tour was hosted by The Fantastic Flying Book Club.

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The Summer of Chasing Mermaids

The youngest of six talented sisters, Elyse d’Abreau was destined for stardom—until a boating accident took everything from her. Now, the most beautiful singer in Tobago can’t sing. She can’t even speak. Seeking quiet solitude, Elyse accepts a friend’s invitation to Atargatis Cove. Named for the mythical first mermaid, the Oregon seaside town is everything Elyse’s home in the Caribbean isn’t: An ocean too cold for swimming, parties too tame for singing, and people too polite to pry—except for one. Christian Kane is a notorious playboy—insolent, arrogant, and completely charming. He’s also the only person in Atargatis Cove who doesn’t treat Elyse like a glass statue. He challenges her to express herself, and he admires the way she treats his younger brother Sebastian, who believes Elyse is the legendary mermaid come to life. When Christian needs a first mate for the Cove’s high-stakes Pirate Regatta, Elyse reluctantly stows her fear of the sea and climbs aboard. The ocean isn’t the only thing making waves, though—swept up in Christian’s seductive tide and entranced by the Cove’s charms, Elyse begins to wonder if a life of solitude isn’t what she needs. But changing course again means facing her past. It means finding her inner voice. And scariest of all, it means opening her heart to a boy who’s best known for breaking them . . .

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I got this book from Edielweiss in exchange for an honest review. None of my thoughts are affected by that.

Before this book, I had never read anything from Sarah; therefore, I had no idea what to expect from her. When I picked up The Summer of Chasing Mermaids I expected a light, happy, fun, contemporary novel that was a finding yourself book. Haha, I was so wrong. This book was deep, emotional, and beautifully written. The plot was so interesting to read, I loved the characters, and enjoyed it so much.

The main character, Elyse is left at the Cove after an accident that leaves her scarred and voiceless. I really enjoyed reading about Elyse because she is such a poetic person and that really enhanced Sarah's words to tell this story. The fact that Elyse couldn't speak as well made this book a huge challenge to write and it could have gone horribly wrong but the author did a great job making it seem like Elyse could speak when she really couldn't. The development Elyse goes through as well is so great and I love it. In the beginning of the book is in a state of denial and anger about her loss. By the end of this book, she has accepted that she is now mute will never sing again. This change was caused by the experiences she goes through in Oregon. She finally accepts the fact that she will never sing and speak again and is able to discover happiness in new things, new people. I think Elyse knowing that she has lost her biggest passion really helped her move on. She is no longer upset that her sister who she was supposed to share her singing career with, has started to go solo. She is no longer scared of the ocean, the one thing that originally caused the accident that took her ability to speak away. By the end of the book, she opens up to new people, friends she has made on the island in Oregon.

Aside from Elyse, I loved the other characters in this book because some of the other characters were so realistic. Kirby, Elyse's cousin, is so supportive, kind, and accepted Elyse with open arms. Christian is a Stanford student who has got some issues himself. His brother, Sebastian, is every kid: curious. (And cute! :D) The mayor of the town is freaking sexist and plans to do things to the town that not everyone agrees with and is always looking to up one Christian's dad. Talk about mature...

I loved the plot Sarah as set up for us. The main character is mute, her sailing mate is a player, who is on a very high-tension bet, and his little brother like hunting for mermaids! Love it! Love it so far! As we get more into the story, I fall in love with it more: Atargatis Cove, Christian, Elyse's personality, her cousin's constant battle to trying to just be Elyse's friend, and Sebastian-Christian's little brother-who is on the constant look out for mermaids. Another thing that really kept me attached to this book was how there was always something going on. Not only are Elyse and Christian both competing to win a bet, but Elyse is still recovering from her loss. She is still coping with the fact that she needs to find another way to express herself and that adventure she takes is emotional, inspirational, and life changing.

I gave this book 5 stars because I loved the plot and characters and just everything about this story.

We all went through that phase. Where we first started our blogs and had no clue what to include in the design and stuff. I spent days t...

We all went through that phase. Where we first started our blogs and had no clue what to include in the design and stuff. I spent days trying to figure my design and would go through so many design tutorials, blog design tips, and study up on other people's designs. I know these type of posts helped me out tons so I thought I would a list of things that would cause me to leave your blog immediately.

So without further ado, here is a list of things I you want to avoid on your blog! I hope this helps some people and some of you can relate! :D

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Long load time: Let's face it, not a lot of us have high speed computers that open pages in a nano second. Therefore, if it takes longer than a quick glance on Twitter to load and open your blog, chances are I will ex out the tab. Also, if I need to refresh more than once to open your blog, that will cause me to click off as well. (Unless my computer is being a jerk, I will let that slide) Lot's of things on your sidebar or images will slow down your load time so make sure to manage those. (If you would like some tips on this matter, Ashley has a great post! Oh! And Stephanie!)

No Bloglovin button: Eventually, I am going to have to leave your blog. If I like what I see on my time there, I will follow you on Bloglovin...unless you don't have one. Most blogs have a Bloglovin you can follow, that way you will know when a new posts comes up. I use Bloglovin to my full advantage. It's how I find posts and keep up with my favorite blogs! If you don't have a Bloglovin or any other way to follow other than by email, chance are I'm not going to return every often...

Small font: When choosing a font, size, and color consider this question,"Would I read a book in this font, color, size ect." If you answer no to any of these aspects, change it so that you would read a 300 page novel in the text. If your font color is bright green or your font is some fun font that I can't read, bye. I am not about to stretch my eyes so I can read your post because it would not be good for my eyes. Just make sure it's legible and not some text that will make my eyes more worse than it already is... (Dark background= Light; pastel colors. Light/White background= Dark colors)

Dark background, bright font: Again with the fonts, (Like this is important. If I can't read your posts then...) if you have a dark background, please make sure the color of the font is not some bright green that will make me see spots when I am done reading. If possible, I would avoid dark backgrounds in all but if you really want on, make sure the font color is not bright against the dark color.

Nothing but promotional posts: I used to be this type of person. Blog tours, book blitz, and cover reveals were basically everything I would post. Why? Because these things were easy and I hated writing reviews. That's not how it works though! Reviews are your words, they're your opinions. You started a blog to have your own words and opinions on it right? That's what you need to be posting more of other than HTML prepped posts.

Haven't posted in a long time: If you have a post saying you will be on a hiatus fine. I'll look through your older posts and decide if I want to follow you. Eventually you will come back. If your last post was December of 2014 and it's May 2015 then I am not about to even try. (Unless your hiatus is like 6 months long.) You want to be posting consistently and just leaving your blog in the dust won't be good. At least tell the people that you will be on a hiatus, it's better than nothing!

Incorrect grammar or spelling: Pls make sure ur spelling and grammar is correct it makes ur posts look messi if they arent. Little things like apostrophes and commas can make your post put together a lot better. If you really want to get fancy you can use semi-colons and dashes! Also, remember to never use things like "pls" or "thnx" in your posts. Type out the whole word, the post isn't going to disappear if you don't! Promise.

Automatic music: I'm pretty sure you have heard this one in lists millions of times. It's true! I don't want to open up your blog and I hear Uptown Funk blasting. No! Don't do that! It scares me, draws people away from your blog, and makes your blog take longer to load!

No review index: One of the first things I check about someone's blog is their review index! This is just to see if their reviews are worth following for and to see what books this person reads. I don't want to have to spend more than 30 seconds trying to find your reviews. Review Index right in the menu bar or having an obvious link that leads to review indexes are things that take less than 30 seconds to locate. Please don't make me go on an excavation just to find your Review Index...

Eyesore blog design: This one is pretty important. Not only do your fonts need to look readable, but I want to feel comfortable when visiting your blog. No you don't need to feed me cookies and massage my feet when I visit your blog, but you should make me feel "spacious." Don't have your sidebar flashing with text or have a header that moves while your post header is flashing pink. No that's too much. Simple, keep things simple. You want readers to be attracted to one thing the moment they lay eyes on your beautiful blog. Whether that's the creative header or large leadered post title, the attraction should only go to one thing at a time. You know how your teachers always told you to talk one person at a time, that's how your blog design should be. One attraction at a time.

These are the things you want to avoid in your blog! I hope I helped some people, I know these type of posts helped me a bunch.

So tell me: What is one thing that causes you to leave a blog quicker than usual?

The Program

In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program. Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories. Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them

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I'd been meaning to read The Program for a while and wow, thank goodness I finally read it. It was mysterious, emotional, intoxicating, and just pure "book crack." I liked how it was a different kind of dystopian. What I consider to be a "normal" dystopian is a book loaded with action and the protagonist is usually rebelling against the people who control their society (not like this is a standard in what a dystopian book should look like, this is just usually see in dystopias); The Program was definitely not an average dystopian. This book was more of an emotional read rather than a action packed read. That's what I really like about this book: Young didn't need guns or dead people to keep me reading, the plot and characters had already done that for her.

The Program takes place in a society where the slightest sign of depression can cause you to end up in The Program, a place to erase these depressive and suicidal feelings. It may seem like the best thing ever, but people who return from The Program come back as different people. They may not even remember people they knew before The Program. This causes teenagers to try to avoid ending up in The Program at all costs.

Our main character, Sloane, is someone who has known quite a few people who have had to attend The Program or have committed suicide. I really liked Sloane because of how strong she after dealing with so many events that would have caused her to be thrown into The Program. That really made more engaged to the book because each day, there is a chance the handlers can take her away if there was any sign of depression. Let's face it, you have your days where you just want to lay in bed and cry, and I feel as though Sloane goes through many days where she wants to do that, yet she is able to play a facade. She knows that if she wants to stay out of the Program she needs to pull off this facade and act happy. She knows exactly how to get around the handlers, the people who bring people to The Program. Whether it's faking a smile or lying on her daily questionnaires- which asks questions regarding suicidal thoughts and such- Sloane knows what The Program does and knows that it's bad enough to the point where she should try to avoid it. She definitely goes through a great amount of change by the end of the book. There were so many emotional events that happened and the causes a huge change and shift in her personality.

James, Sloane's boyfriend, is Sloane's outlet to what she believes is a messed up world. James, like Sloane, knows how to pretend and get around being thrown into The Program. I loved reading about James and Sloane's love. It's not everyday you can read about a dystopian couple that isn't thrown out into an all out war the next day. Both Sloane and James come off to be very emotionally fragile people at times. Since they both have gone through so much together, they can rely on each other to cry with or cheer each other up. They are able to support each other when their lives get tough, and I just love that about them. Both of them are equally broken and scarred but can pick up each other's pieces when needed.

What made this book so interesting that I finished it within a day? The plot; it was a glorious plot. It was so suspenseful and interesting to read about. Every event and small detail led straight up into the climax of this book and that made the plot even better. The Program was also a book that has "yet to be explored." There are so many things I don't know about the world and I had so many question like what it is like in The Program? Then there is the dying question of how our "perfect" word turned into the society The Program takes place in? What caused returners of the Program to seem like empty shells? These questions kept me reading and craving for more pages (Hence the fact this book is 400 pages). Some of my questions have been answered but some haven't! That is now a worry, though I definitely expect them to be answered in the sequel. The one thing I can say about this book is that you definitely don't expect a lot of what happens. There were so many plot twists and turns and a bucket load of feels: Sadness, happiness to the point where you wanted to cry, shock, and just utter "OMG."

If you want a breathtaking dystopian novel what will give you so many feels, go with The Program. This book made me cry, laugh, and left me laying on the ground, trying to process the ending. It definitely was an emotional read so get your tissues ready. Its prequels and sequel is already out, so it's easy to catch up without the wait! Young did a great job keeping me attached to the book, and the plot of The Program is just so damn interesting. (Also, I love the cover!!)

Harry Potter Moment of the Week is a weekly meme created by Uncorked Thoughts . Each week there is a question, Harry Potter related of cou...

Harry Potter Moment of the Week is a weekly meme created by Uncorked Thoughts. Each week there is a question, Harry Potter related of course, and all you do answer the question. It is a great way to celebrate and keep Harry Potter alive!

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Free Week!

So for this free week I decided to choose one of the older questions like last time since I did miss a bit of this theme. This free week's theme is Favorite movie? Now, I love all the Harry Potter movies, but I do have a movie I would be willing to watch over and over: Goblet of Fire. If you aren't aware, Goblet of Fire is my favorite Harry Potter books. Goblet of Fire is my favorite movie as well. This question was especially hard because all the movies were made so well and it is really to choose a favorite. Goblet of Fire has to be my favorite book and movie because at this point we are all so used to Harry and his little near-death adventures and it is great to finally see an adventure where he wasn't getting himself into trouble! Plus, I feel as though this book is a lot less "uptight." The first three books, Harry is getting used to this magic thing and the last 2 books, Voldemort is on Harry's tail. Plus, Goblet of Fire had tons of action and I loved it! :)

Welcome to my intro post for Armchair BEA! As a person who will not be attending BEA, I am going to be participating in Armchair BEA. This...

Welcome to my intro post for Armchair BEA! As a person who will not be attending BEA, I am going to be participating in Armchair BEA. This is like a party for all the cool kids who are staying home and not at BEA. I hope you guys enjoy these five questions about me! If you would like to learn more about Armchair BEA click the button to the left or click here to visit their website! Now without further ado (or more words to make the text and graphic line up and look somewhat decent and not unlined) Let's get to the question. (I chose 5 out of the 10 provided) (Okay, now it's even)

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Tell us a bit about yourself: How long have you been blogging? Where are you from? How did you get into blogging?

Hey! My name is Kaitlin and I am the blogger here at Next Page Please! I live in the US and have been blogging since May 2014. I actually wasn't expecting to become a book blogger. When I started, I was just going to be a life blogger but that quickly turned into books. I started off with a Weebly blog but in July, I moved to Wordpress; that's when the real blogging adventure begins. Then in February, I moved to Blogger and have been loving it so far! Then in March 2015, I was accepted into contributing to Lit Up Review! I have been happily posting my reviews monthly there!

Why do you loving reading and blogging?

I loved both reading and blogging because it is a way I can interact with people. Through both books and blogging I am able to interact and fangirl about books without being judged. I liked blogging because it is a way I can express myself and share my love for books. I love reading because it is a way I can find out about new worlds or new people.

What is one book everyone should read?

One book I think everyone should read would have to the Grisha trilogy. I thought it was a great trilogy because it was so suspenseful, the writing was great, I loved the characters, and the fantasy world the book took place in was wonderful as well. It may not be for everybody, but everyone should at least give it a try. ;)

What book are you reading right now?

I am currently reading Undertow by Michael Buckley. It was a book I got off NetGalley and so far it seems pretty interesting. Of course, I'm not too far into the book but I can't wait to keep reading!

What is the top book in your TBR pile?Haha, I have too many books in my TBR pile, but I also have a decent amount of books that are on top. To list some, they would have to be Throne of Glass, The Heir, Fairest, The Winner's Crime, and much much more! :/

Book Buddies is a discussion-style review that takes place with Lauren @ Bookmark Lit . (Learn more and see past reviews here ) We both re...

Book Buddies is a discussion-style review that takes place with Lauren @ Bookmark Lit. (Learn more and see past reviews here) We both read the book and then have a private discussion about it. We post our discussion as a review on the last Wednesday of each month. You’ll be able to see our similar/different opinions on the overall book, characters, writing style, etc. – just like a regular review. The first half our discussion will take place right here, and the second half will be on Lauren's blog! (Link at the bottom)

The Program

Author: Suzanne Young

Pages: 405

Published by: Simon Pulse

Published on: April 30th 2013

In Sloane’s world, true feelings are forbidden, teen suicide is an epidemic, and the only solution is The Program. Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories. Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them

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1. Do you feel as though the Program actually helps depression or pressures people to become more depressed. (Since the Program brings in people who show the slightest sign of depression, do you think that worries and stresses people to become depressed?) L: This is similar to a question that I wrote down as well! I definitely think that The Program has some major drawbacks. If I saw my friend being pulled from class, kicking and screaming, to be brought to a facility where their memory was going to be erased, I would definitely not be happy about it. Seeing this happen to family members and friends on a regular basis definitely increases depression, in my opinion. It's like they're going through and giving people depression so that they can wipe their memories, so that the whole population would be perfect, preppy followers. By bringing in people with depression and stripping them of their memories, they all just kind of become robots. But, then again, as time goes on, you never know what else could happen in their lives that could cause them to be depressed again. It's like it'll be an endless cycle. This was a very rambling answer but I think you know what I mean ;)

K: I agree! It's like being taken to jail, or that's how everyone treats it. The way you put it, it's as if the depression was kind of "contagious" and I agree with that. The people you spend your time with really affects your mood and the more depressed they get, the more depressed you get. I have also thought about that when people go through cycles of depression. Not everyone is going to be happy once they go through depression once. Things change and you meet new people and your depression may return. Also, I would hate to live in a world full of robots...

2. When you first met Realm, what were your initial feelings and thoughts about him? How did they change after you started getting further into the book?L: He super creeped me out, I can't lie. I hated that he called her "sweetness" all the time and I probably would have punched him if I were her. I found it really weird that he kept saying that he would do anything for her when he literally JUST met her. It just didn't make sense to me. Because of that, I definitely didn't trust him. This only got worse as the book continued.. especially in the epilogue! I can't say I'm surprised by it (not to mention a little confused...) but I'm definitely curious to see what the heck happens next.

K: Okay, good! I'm not the only one who dislikes Realm. As much as he was nice to Sloane, I didn't get a very good vibe from him as well. When Sloane met him, I was still so much on the James and Sloane ship (despite how unlikey they were) and I just felt bad because it felt like Sloane was cheating James whenever she would share a bed with Realm or anything like that. Oh, then we find out he is some sort worker for the Program and that really caused me to lose even more trust in him, not like I had much to begin with... :/ I do think he has a huge role in this book though, excited to see what happens to him...

3. Was the book different from what you expected thoughts? Did it surprise you in anyway?L: I was definitely intrigued by the premise but I don't usually read dystopias at all. I did The Maze Runner trilogy, which got worse with each book, and The Hunger Games, which was obviously excellent. I think it a lot of ways it reminded me of The Maze Runner because it had this all-powerful, "big brother" type of organization that messed with people and experimented. The whole time (during both books actually) I was wondering if there was more to the story or more to the organization that meets the eye. I think it'll definitely be the case in this series; The Program definitely has some crazy, crazy practices. I didn't know if I was going to like it or not but it was REALLY well-done and interesting.

K: For me this book really surprised because of what dystopian I have read in the past; it was definitely different. This book was very interesting and there is definitely more to what meets the eye. I am super excited to find out more about this society and government because this book gave me none of that information! The thing is, there weren't many fights and battles but Sloane's story and the Program just got me so interested, I couldn't stop reading. Plus, the twists and turns really surprised me.

4. Is there anything you disliked about the book or something you especially liked?L: I honestly can't think of anything I disliked! It was a really solid read for me. I liked the way the book was written, in multiple parts, and allowed us to "know" more than Sloane did. Possibly a spoiler ahead if you haven't read it - When Sloane's memory got erased, we had the chance to learn about her history and her memories... so we knew more about her life than she did at that point! I love when I'm reading a book where I know something that the main character doesn't. I especially liked the themes of fate - or always ending up where you're meant to be - but this is explored more on my blog! ;)

K: Honestly, I didn't think I disliked anything about the book as well. This book wasn't a filled with tons of battles but it was so interesting and there were so many plot twists; this made the book really interesting. And I liked how Sloane's memories have been erased yet I am still reading on because I want to find out more. It was heartbreaking to see James come out of the Program and I thought that was going to be it. Oh but it was even more heartbreaking to see Sloane get dragged into the Program because we basically read as she starts to forget things and how she is forced drugs every single therapy session. I really just loved the writing and the plot for this book.

5. Did you consider this book to have a love triangle? L: Hmmm. Yes and no. I have a feeling that people who hate love triangles (not me, really) would think that there was one. It's kind of hard when (again, spoiler ahead??) someone's memory is erased. Their loyalty isn't exactly changing from one person to another because they don't even remember the first person. I think it was interesting that Sloane even settled for Realm at all when it seemed like she barely liked him or even knew him. Regardless, SHE always said that they were kind of more than friends, but not really. So I guess the short answer is yes, kind of? Even though I totally didn't believe she had feelings for Realm and I'm kinnnnd of in love with James. There's a love triangle between me and Sloane and James.

K: Ahahaha, same. It was so weird to see Realm telling Sloane he loved her and all that because they haven't even known each other for a full 6 months. Whereas James has know Sloane since she was like what? 7? This book has sorta a love triangle and sort of not. I know that Sloane will always choose James over Realm but Realm still will "love" Sloane. If he ever does become a very big character in this series then I don't think he would be a threat to James and Sloane's "new" relationship. Hopefully he will "love" Sloane from five feet behind and stay friends with her.

6. Any predictions for the next book?L: NOPE. I have no idea. I'm awful at predicting what's going to happen in books, but I'm hoping to learn more about The Program and its intricacies. I also desperately need that epilogue to be explained!! I imagine that Sloane and James will be out and about, running with a group of rebels, so that'll be interesting. I'm very curious to see if Sloane decides to take that pill. On one hand, if I were her, I'd definitely want my memory restored. But, on the other hand, imagine if she found out her whole history with James but he still had no idea about it? That'd be super awkward.

K: I honestly don't have any predictions either. The pill is a super interesting thing because I guess it would be kind of weird to have Sloane remember all their camping trips and her brother and all but that means there is hope for James to get some of his memories back because a lot of it is shared with Sloane. The epilogue left me so confused and wanting more because it was so interesting! (And yes making out, I miss those...;))
Again, if you would like to see the rest of the discussion, click here!

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Inherit the Stars

Author: Tessa Elwood

Pages: 304

Publishing by: Running Press Kids

Publishing on: December 8th 2015

Three royal houses ruling three interplanetary systems are on the brink of collapse, and they must either ally together or tear each other apart in order for their people to survive. Asa is the youngest daughter of the house of Fane, which has been fighting a devastating food and energy crisis for far too long. She thinks she can save her family’s livelihood by posing as her oldest sister in an arranged marriage with Eagle, the heir to the throne of the house of Westlet. The appearance of her mother, a traitor who defected to the house of Galton, adds fuel to the fire, while Asa also tries to save her sister Wren's life . . . possibly from the hands of their own father. But as Asa and Eagle forge a genuine bond, will secrets from the past and the urgent needs of their people in the present keep them divided? Author Tessa Elwood's debut series is an epic romance at heart, set against a mine field of political machinations, space adventure, and deep-seeded family loyalties.

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Why I'm Waiting

Based on this synopsis, the book seems super interesting. I haven't read many books that take place in different planets and have meaning to read more of them. This one seems like a great start to more space-themed books! Inherit the Stars seems like a read with a lot of action based on the synopsis. The plot seems very interesting and I can't wait to read it!

Seize the Tuesday is a book blogger meme created by Adi Alsaid and the Let’s Get Lost Buddies Street Team, to share stories about how we’v...

Seize the Tuesday is a book blogger meme created by Adi Alsaid and the Let’s Get Lost Buddies Street Team, to share stories about how we’ve seized the Tuesday, with a special focus on the particular book we're reading. We’ll post on as many Tuesdays as possible and share our posts online with the hashtag: #LetsAllGetLost. If you loved Let’s Get Lost then join the LGL Buddies on Facebook and help promote the book!

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Undertow

Author: Michael Buckley

Pages: 384

Published by: HMH Books for Young Readers

Published on: May 5th 2015

Sixteen-year-old Lyric Walker’s life is forever changed when she witnesses the arrival of 30,000 Alpha, a five-nation race of ocean-dwelling warriors, on her beach in Coney Island. The world’s initial wonder and awe over the Alpha quickly turns ugly and paranoid and violent, and Lyric’s small town transforms into a military zone with humans on one side and Alpha on the other. When Lyric is recruited to help the crown prince, a boy named Fathom, assimilate, she begins to fall for him. But their love is a dangerous one, and there are forces on both sides working to keep them apart. Only, what if the Alpha are not actually the enemy? What if they are in fact humanity’s only hope of survival? Because the real enemy is coming. And it’s more terrifying than anything the world has ever seen. Action, suspense, and romance whirlpool dangerously in this cinematic saga, a blend of District 9 and The Outsiders.

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How am I Seizing the Tuesday?

Well, I finished it. In case you aren't aware, an extremely anticipated book came out today! P.S. I Still Love You! It's the sequel to To All the Boys I've Loved Before and I love it. To All the Boys was such a great read and I was super excited to find out about the sequel. (My copy actually came early! :D) I started yesterday and finished it today. It was pure book crack. (When a book is so addicting it's like being on crack...) I just couldn't put it down because, damn it was good. I am really hoping for a sequel because I just cannot get enough with Lara Jean's story. So now, I'm back to Undertow but those 24 hours I spent with this book..it was glorious.

So how can you Seize the Tuesday? Well go outside, learn something new, pamper yourself! Spread around this Seizing and enjoy the day! Or should I say…Seize? So tell me: How have you Seize the Tuesday?

Welcome to the Day 7 and Bout of Books 13 Wrap-up! I know this is super super late but I have forgotten about it and now I have actually r...

Welcome to the Day 7 and Bout of Books 13 Wrap-up! I know this is super super late but I have forgotten about it and now I have actually remembered. So sit back and read about my cries over this somewhat failed challenge! :)

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Update (Day 7)

For Day 7 I was able to get 1/4 read of the Revenge Playbook. I didn't finish it but made a dent. (I would love to write more but I can't think of what more to write...)

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Wrap-up

Sooo, I was able to get a good 2.25/3 books done with this read a thon. Of course, I wish I could have finished more but I feel pretty happy with how close to my goal I got. It would have been great if I was able to finish The Summer of Chasing Mermaids a but quicker than the 4 days it did take. Then I could have maybe gotten an extra day on The Revenge Playbook and create a bigger dent in it!

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Omni

They will risk everything, even challenging the all-seeing eye of the Omni government. But will the prize be worth the cost?
Seventeen-year-old Pierce is a Drudge, the lowest social stratum in society. For over two years, he’s hoped—prayed—that his upcoming aptitude test will finally free him from his virtual slavery and give him a chance at a better existence. When he rescues Harmony, an Artist and member of the most successful stratum, his life takes an unbelievable twist.
With his gallant act and good looks, he becomes a media sensation. Every stratum in society seeks his membership for their publicity, but as he becomes closer to Harmony, Pierce realizes what fame in Omni is truly like. His choices will not only affect him but Harmony as well. The life Pierce thought he wanted may not be worth the cost to either of them.

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Andrea Murray's Top 10 Television Shows

Vampire Diaries

The Originals

Reign

Vikings

The Walking Dead

Game of Thrones

Catfish

Anything on Investigation Discovery

Hell on Wheels

Ink Master

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Hey everyone! I just wanted to post this to see if anyone wanted to guest post next month becasue I will be going on a 3 week hiatus due to ...

Hey everyone! I just wanted to post this to see if anyone wanted to guest post next month becasue I will be going on a 3 week hiatus due to a family vacation. I plan to schedule as many posts as I can before the vacation but may not be able to cover the three weeks. If you would like to submit a post- doesn't have to be anything big, maybe a discussion post or a list- go ahead and email me (Address found on the sidebar or my Contact page) or message me on twitter! (@nextpageplease_) Thank you!

I Was Here

Cody and Meg were inseparable. Two peas in a pod. Until . . . they weren’t anymore. When her best friend Meg drinks a bottle of industrial-strength cleaner alone in a motel room, Cody is understandably shocked and devastated. She and Meg shared everything—so how was there no warning? But when Cody travels to Meg’s college town to pack up the belongings left behind, she discovers that there’s a lot that Meg never told her. About her old roommates, the sort of people Cody never would have met in her dead-end small town in Washington. About Ben McAllister, the boy with a guitar and a sneer, who broke Meg’s heart. And about an encrypted computer file that Cody can’t open—until she does, and suddenly everything Cody thought she knew about her best friend’s death gets thrown into question. I Was Here is Gayle Forman at her finest, a taut, emotional, and ultimately redemptive story about redefining the meaning of family and finding a way to move forward even in the face of unspeakable loss.

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We all know Gayle Forman right? You know, author of the If I Stay and Just One Day duology? Well, coming from a person who has only read the two books from If I Stay, I Was Here was very different from her other books; I Was Here was mysterious, twisted, and just surprising in general. The plot was so interesting to read and Cody, the main character, is someone I very much enjoy reading from.

The characters in I Was Here were a pretty interesting group of people. I have to say though, there weren't many people that were super important in this book. I could probably count the number on my two hands but they were all really interesting and different in their own ways. Cody was a very different person from the group of characters. She, along with Meg's family, was pretty affected by her death. They didn't see it coming and I think that really brought out a lot of emotion from everyone who was friends with Meg. Cody is someone I would want to be as my best friend. After Meg's death, she had continued to try to figure out why Meg had killed herself and she continued doing so after people told her to let it, to not pry through Meg's personal life. I really liked that, a determined person who won't give up on someone. A thing I also noticed was how secretive Meg was. No one knew or guessed she was going to kill herself and she didn't want anyone to find out that she killed herself for a unusual reason.

The plot was also a very interesting one. The thing that I really liked about this book was how mysterious it was. Since Meg died in a really interesting way, there is nothing but mystery and information to find about her suicide. Cody goes on one of those adventures and I enjoyed the storyline because there was so much mystery. Cody would get a little more information about Meg's suicide and that would keep me reading another few chapters. Obviously, Meg's suicide wasn't all happy rainbows and fluffy unicorns. The more messed up and mysterious the situation was, the more I wanted to read. ;)

I gave this book 4 stars because I love the mysterious plot and the characters that were part of this book. There is one flaw I didn't enjoy (which will not be named!).

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2. Which character of Tracked did you enjoy the most write about?
Honestly, I really enjoyed writing Phee, my main character. This girl is bold, and fierce, and fearless...everything I'm not! Although I'm outgoing, I'm actually quite fearful and timid! So it was a lot of fun to step outside myself, and buckle into Phee's point of view. In Tracked, she keeps her foot to the floor (literally and figuratively), and never lets up, no matter the obstacle. At times, it was exhilarating to give into that, and let my mind run wild. In a way, I was able to live out all my daredevil dreams through her. So I'd have to say she was my favorite.

3. Do you have a favorite car? If so which one(s)?
Definitely! I'd love to get my hands on a jet black, SRT Hellcat Dodge Charger. It's all muscle and curve, just gorgeous. Sidenote: If any dealerships would like to loan me one for a summer book tour...well, I sure wouldn't say no. ;)

4. How did you come up with the names of the characters in Tracked?
For every book, I spend a lot of time researching names. I have a big book of baby names on my writing shelf, and I use online name sites, too. For me, the rhythm and cadence and connotation is most important. I say a name out loud and try it out, to see if it seems to fit. But I often consider the meanings of names as well, and it's fun to find just the right one. For Tracked, I wanted a fierce, arena-worthy name for my heroine. Phee Van Zant seemed to fit the bill. Later, Phoebe's given a circuit alias, and that was fun to pick as well. In Tracked, you'll learn that name, and you'll see Cash's and Bear's full names, too!

5. Is there a message you hope readers find in this book? (You don't have to include it in the response if you don't want to):
I hope readers connect with Phee's deep sense of loyalty and with her spitfire, never-surrender spirit. It's tempting to take the easy road in order to stay safe and adored. It's much harder to stand up for what's right, when you're cornered and threatened...when you're seemingly powerless and opposed on all sides. When you're boxed in, it's hard to keep hope alive, and keep fighting. One of my favorite quotes from Tracked is about that very thing; about not giving up or giving in, even when all hope seems lost.

"I have to believe in impossible things."

The line is plays an important part in a crucial scene, and it's something I return to, even in my acknowledgments.

6. Any last words you would like to share?
Keep dreaming when they tell you to quit. Keep reading what they don't want you to read. Keep speaking up for those who've been silenced. And as my character Cash would say, keep believing in impossible things!

Mind Games

Two sisters, bound by impossible choices, are determined to protect each other - no matter the cost. James's frozen face melts into a smile. "Do you want to know the trick to getting in trouble under the watchful eye of a psychic?" I think of the nailed-shut windows. I think of Clarice. I think of the two, the two, the two who are now zero. Tap tap. "Yes, I absolutely do." "Don't plan it. Don't even think about it. The second you get an inkling of what you could do, do it then. Never plan anything ahead of time. Always go on pure instinct." I smile. "I think I can do that."

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Ohhh Kiersten White. I have hard such great things about you. I mean, I have read one of your books but that doesn't count because it was the second book to the Paranormalcy series... Mind Games was kind of ehhhh. I liked the characters, the plot and backstory was pretty good but this story needed more action and could have had a lot of potential for a longer story. The story just ended and I feel like it could have been much more. I understand the author might have purposely cut the story short but it just wasn't something I liked.

Like I said, I liked the characters. Fia and Annie are sisters. Fia has perfect instinct and Annie is her blind older sister who can see the future. I can't really say too much about both characters without spoiling too much. A metaphor I can say about these sisters is that Annie is Fia's proxy. (If you don't know, in Alex London's book Proxy, a Proxy is someone who takes the punishment of their Patron, the person who is committing these bad deeds.)

This is the part that just dragged down my rating because I felt as though this book was cut short. The book ends and I basically imagine about tons and millions of things that could happen after that part. Maybe the author meant for the part to be imagined by readers but honestly, I read a story to know what happens, not to make up a version of my own. (ie. The Giver) This book had so much potential! Fia had planned to do something right before the book ended and I was just so disappointed how Kierstan didn't keep writing on about this story. I really like the plot and the backstory to how Fia and Annie end up the way they are. I loved this world with all these cool abilities the characters had. Other than that, I also found this book was a bit uneventful. Based on the previous pages I had read, I had expected this book to have more fight scenes, to have more near death experience, more action in general!

One thing that also bumped down the rating a bit was how much I just couldn't keep up with the POV changes. 4 perspectives: Fia past, Fia present, Annie past, Annie present. That was waaay too much for me to keep track of. It got a little overwhelming due to how many people I had to keep up with. It is kind of like letting loose 4 animals that each other. They run around and you cannot control them! I would have preferred it if there were flashbacks instead of "Then" POV chapters.

I gave this book 3 stars because I thought the book ended too quickly, the events were a bit boring and the amount of POVs were a bit overwhelming. I still liked the characters and backstory though!